Greasing your linkage

GREASING YOUR LINKAGE 101

This process may very depending on the make, model and year of your bike. For the most part they are based on the same basic principal and this article in particular was written for a late model Honda CRF 450.

Step 1. For starters, you'll need to remove the seat, sidepanels, rear wheel and silencer which will open the subframe for removal. The clamp fitting the airboot to the carb must be loosened also (yes, the photo shows that the rear wheel is still in place, it simply needs to be removed before the swingarm is taken off).

Step 2. Now remove the three bolts which hold the aluminum subframe in place. Next pull straight back on the subframe assembly. The airboot may be difficult to seperate from the carb, but just be careful when pulling. (For future reference, put a very small amount of grease on the inner lip of the airboot to ease re-installation and future removal.)

Step 3. Next on the agenda is to loosen the upper and lower shock bolts. Remove the lower shock bolt first, then the upper. Be sure to hold the shock while removing the upper bolt. Set the shock aside, vertically if possible. Now it is suggested to loosen all of the other linkage related nuts, to ease future removal.

Step 4. Now that the shock is out of the way, it is time to remove the linkage. It is a good idea to take a quick photo of how the linkage is bolted together, as it may get a little confusing when re-installing. First remove bolt which connects the "dog-leg" shaped pivot to the swingarm. Now remove the swingarm axle. This should free up the swingarm to be removed and set aside.

Step 5. The pull rods are the only parts left. Simply unbolt the pull rods from the frame and the pivot. It is a good idea to set the parts on a bench in a relative order to remind you what goes where when re-assembling.

Step 6. Finally, we get to the whole point of this tutorial. We started with the pivot. With a flat blade screwdriver, gently pry upward on the washer as shown. Next do the same to the seal. Be very aware to be cautious when removing the seals.

Step 7. The pivot, shock and the swingarm both have similiar configurations, regarding the seal and bushing setup. Once the seal is removed, slide the bushings out from one end. Unless all parts are new, it is necessary to clean all of the parts with a solvent washer. Now force a good quality grease in between all the needle bearings. Also lube the bushings.

Step 8. Repeat the process with the shock bearings and the swingarm bearings (on the Hondas, only the lower shock bearing can be greased). Simply push the bushings out, grease the needle bearings and bushings, then re-install.